AHS could win $140,000 in equipment in online contest

ALTON - Redbird spirit is undeniable as supporters move Alton High School into second place in a nationwide competition.

Sponsored by Under Armour, the winning school will receive $140,000 worth of uniforms, apparel, footwear and accessories to outfit their athletic teams in the Under Armour Finding Undeniable Program.

"The idea is to show off our school pride and spirit so that it separates us from the rest of the schools competing," said Todd Haug, varsity baseball head coach, who is coordinating the campaign with fellow teacher Brian Bergin. "We would love to win new uniforms and equipment for almost all of our teams, but at the end of the day, the competition is rallying the school and community to come together in a way I've never seen before."

With momentum building, Alton High rapidly has moved into the top 50, then the top 10, and overnight catapulting from fifth place into the second spot nationwide. The first round of the competition ends on Nov. 20.

Schools are given assignments, such as posting a video of their cheerleading squad performing the Under Armour Undeniable cheer, and once posted, the high school is awarded a set number of points for the task. The school is working on posting a video of Alton Mayor Tom Hoechst.

"We have no idea of what the challenge is going to be from week to week," Haug said.

For the challenge calling for a trick basketball shot, the school enlisted the help of the Robotics class that programmed their creation to shoot a basket.

"This is just one example of the bonding taking place all throughout the high school," Haug said. "You've got the robotic students working to help out the athletes, so this is great."

The school also has used social media to engage the support of celebrities and professional athletes, including country music superstar Toby Keith, St. Louis Cardinals closer Jason Motte, and St. Louis Rams players Austin Pettis, Brit Miller and Isaiah Pead.

To push their ranking even higher, Haug emphasized the importance of adding supporters.

"We get points for every new supporter added," he said. "You just need to sign up and click on the button on the upper left."

On the school's dedicated web page, supporters can follow the school's progress and view all submitted videos and participate in weekly challenges to earn additional points.

Once the first round is over, the top four scoring high schools and four wild card teams determined by the number of badges, or extra credit earned, will advance into the final round of competition.

These eight teams will compete in a head-to-head tournament, with each round lasting a week, Haug explained.

The winning school will be announced in Tampa at the Under Armour All America Game on Jan. 4.

"Right now, the competition is the talk of the school," Haug said. "It has brought so many different groups of students, the staff and the community together."